How about just pulling into a carwash bay every so often and going to town on the underside of the truck with one of those high pressure nozzles? Works for me.

 

My post number 11 should have been addressed specifically to blueranger. If I could figure out how to edit the post I would do so.

I explained in that post just how this minute quantity per square foot of highway would not make its way past a few feet beyond the edge of the pavement. The pavement itself has much more nasty chemicals than the microscopic amount of oil per square foot of road surface that oil undercoating would provide.

From 95250macs post it sounds like this is a legal practice. If it were bad for the environment, I would fully expect that it would have already been banned in the liberal NorthEast.

Again, let's try to be environmentally conscious without being environmentally extreme.

Have a great day,
Doc

 

I did some more reading on the oil undercoating products as mentioned in the original post. This should not be spraying old motor oil underneath. Knowing how auto repair shops have to store and send to a recycler there used motor, I would not be surprised if it is illegal in many states, or federally to do this.
There are specific products for oil undercoating. A dripless and another thinner type that drips. What I found in comments is that even the dripless will drip on your driveway, or whatever. What kind of a mess that makes, I do not know.
One thing I have found is the universal belief that the additives used in motor oil will destroy the rubber bushings on the suspension and other mountings.
Whether the real oil undercoating products are harmful, I do not know for sure. But knowing how 40 years ago products used widely and thought not to be harmful, like DDT and asbestos, I would rather just do something like spray off my vehicle several times a year than use something I am not sure of. Besides, spraying off the underside doesn't cost me anything.

 

You can use a weed killer sprayer type, just thin the oil with mineral spirits. If you can get a few more years out of a vehicle why not.

 

Here's an idea, with using oil as an undercoating in the snowbelt. Using C-rossman's method has merit. I think what we're trying to do is place a film barrier to protect the undercarriage, frame rails, rocker panels, and lower door skins from rust and corrision. The "oil film" is all that is important, not dripping and seeping oil everywhere! I don't think anybody would want to park their vehicle in their driveway, garage, or visit a friend's house with oil dripping everywhere. Here's my idea, and if you don't agree, please tell me. Spray the thinned oil mist in hard to reach areas that I descibed above. Do this preferably when it is warm outside, as the oil will flow and "seep" better. Try and do it, when the vehicle can sit a extra day without being driven. Place some plastic drop clothes (the kind you use when painting, etc. ) or similar product under the vehicle. Pull your van, truck etc. upon a set of car ramps, and let it sit overnight. (front end up) the next morning, back it up, so the rear is up on the ramps. Doing this, any residual drips will drop. It will not continue dripping oil for a month. Remember too, all I suggest is leaving an oil "film". You can put oil on bare metal, wipe and it will not drip. The oil will leave a film that protects the metal from rusting. Try it on a scrap piece of metal, bare. Half with oil film, the half bare. You'll see what side rusts. You can still continue to wash down the undercarriage from road salt, grime, gravel, etc. I truly think this method, done once a year, will help save the frame, floorboards, etc. from rusting. It's cheap. yet effective when you take your time, and do a through job. Even as a teenager in the 70s, I would never think of dumping used oil down the drain, or in the ground. I grew up in the snowbelt in NE OH. There are a lot of hard working people, who can't afford to go out and buy a new work vehicle/personal vehicle, because their frame rusted and broke halfway through a cold winter. I would think the excessive amounts of corrosive damage done by road salt, washing into our streams, creeks, rivers and lakes (ever see what road salt does to plants, ground covers, and trees close to the roadways) are more of a problem, than the tiny amounts (if any) oil spotting used as an undercoating preventitive maintenence plan. ED
PS The old style of rustproofing (Ziebart, etc.) can cause more rusting problems than none at all. That is another topic for another day...

 

Just a side note: the amount of pollution you would save by extending the life of an auto by one year would outweigh any environmental effect caused by whatever dripped off the chassis. Tractors and equipment with a fine coat of diesel that has captured a layer of dust show almost mint condition when the layer is wiped away for service, etc. And for my money, if it helps save a working guy's auto for a few more seasons, then I'm for him over the all the "might bees" you can come up with. FWIW.

 

I think rustyculley deserves the "Looking at the Big Picture with Common Sense" award.

It is all too common for folks to look at things individually instead of how it fits into the overall schem of things. Rusty has vision.

Have a great day,
Doc

 

DOC, I agree with you on fellow Ford enthuiasist, Rusty! Both of you stated your opinions well. I too, would like to restate, the vast damage caused by road salt, rusting all makes of cars and trucks, eventually causing dangerous driving, with rusted frames, unibodys, suspension components. Weakening our bridges over time, from rust and corrision. Plant life, trees, are damaged as well as all the toxic salt is washed into our creeks, streams, rivers and lakes. Nature, in it's wisdom, has a wayof filtering some of this, over time. But road salt is still not good, and there are many other solutions avaialble in the snowbelt states. But it is used because: it is not ruled illegal. It is cheap in cost. The supply is plentiful, and readily available. However, make no mistake. I am 100% against draining used oil into the ground, sewers, or landfills, or other dumping of quarts, gallons of automotive fluids, which should be properly recycled. ED

 

And in many if not all states, it is illegal to do anything with used oil except recycle. Even Texas law requires recycling and has for years. One site I found for Montgomery county MD states the fine for dumping any kind of used motor oil is $25,000 ... PER DAY. And it is considered by the Feds as hazardous waste.

 

Doc and Ed,

Thanks for the kind words. Send my award to 555 Elm Street.......... I'm for being responsible, without a doubt. I just don't see the point in putting out so many little fires (like oil undercoating) when the house is burning down (like $2.50 gasoline). I think the Creator rathers us helping each other more and pointing fingers less. Have a good day.

Rusty

 

I want to be clear. I am NOT in favor of dumping used oil or any automotive fluid on the ground or anywhere else. As I think I said in my original post, as a landowner I consider myself a steward of the environment, at least my little piece of it.

I am VERY careful about what is put on my little piece of Gods green earth. That extends far beyond automotive fluids. I am very careful about agricultural chemicals and such as well.

I personally save all my oil, antifreeze and other jugs so that I can pour my used fluids into them and then take them to the recycling center. This is a PITA, but IMHO well worth the trouble.

I hope everyone else does the same.

Dumping oil in the ground is A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT ISSUE than spraying a thin coat of it underneath a vehicle to try to keep the vehicle on the road a few extra years.

Have a great day,
Doc

 

Funny thing is the big picture is what those of us who disagree with you are looking at.

 

blueranger,

Can you elaborate? I have no idea what you're saying. Do you disagree with my not pouring oil on the ground?

Have a great day,
Doc

 

Your referance to "the big picture" in post #22

Those of us who disagree with oil undercoating are looking at the big picture with common sense.

 

I'm sorry blueranger, but you keep trying to make your point one sentence at a time. Can you elaborate?

Have a great day,
Doc